The Administrative Core (Core A) will function as the administrative and organizational structure that coordinates the activities of the Program Project Grant (PPG) and facilitates its scientific mission. The goal of the Administrative Core is to ensure a programmatic, multidisciplinary focus, facilitate intra- and extra-center communications, and relieve Project Leaders (PLs) and Core Directors of the common administrative activities required to manage a PPG of this size. Dr. Brasier, Core Director, is an experienced administrator who will oversee the day-to-day operations of the program including coordinating the regular Research in Progress meetings of project personnel and monthly meetings with the Internal Advisory Committee (IAC). As Administrative Core Leader, Dr. Brasier will be responsible for evaluation of project activities (in conjunction with the Advisory Committee) and will ensure timely progress towards accomplishing the goals and aims of the PPG, ensure continuing interactions among the various components and will assure adherence of the individual components to the central theme of the program. The IAC will consist of PLs and 5 highly recognized campus leaders: Drs. Halpert (Director of the NIEHS Center in Environmental Toxicology), Norbert Roberts (Director of the Infectious Disease Division), Larry Stanberry (Chairman, Dept. Pediatrics and Director of the Sealy Center for Vaccine Development), Bruce Luxon (Director of the Bioinformatics Program), and Sankar Mitra (Senior Scientist, Sealy Center for Molecular Sciences). The Administrative Core will be responsible for scheduling annual meetings with the External Advisory Committee (EAC) including making travel arrangements and hotel accommodations. Four outstanding investigators have volunteered for the EAC: Drs. David Peden (UNC Chapel Hill), David Proud (University of Calgary), Steven Kunkel (University of Michigan) and Paul Nobel (Yale University). In addition, the Administrative Core will ensure integration of PPG activities and seminars with those of the NHLBI Proteomics Center, Sealy Center for Environmental Health and Medicine, and the Office of Pediatric Clinical Research when appropriate. The Administrative Core will further assist the PLs and Core Directors by serving as a liason to the NIH and to the EAC. These activities free the Project Leaders and Core Directors to pursue their scientific tasks and objectives.